


Good Intentions

by AlleyMarie



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Drama, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:02:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3418565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyMarie/pseuds/AlleyMarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Willow wants to do something nice for Spike and she casts a spell, but not everything goes as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this story in 2003, and it was archived at the now defunct archive Red's Soul Mates. If you think the plot sounds familiar, that's why. I'm re-posting it here with a few revisions. I'll be updating pretty regularly (twice a week). 
> 
> AU but set during Season Six. Spike is chipped, Willow is with Tara, and Spike is not with Buffy, (because in my universe Spike was NEVER with Buffy and I don’t care what Joss said!) 
> 
> P.S.: My writing has evolved over the past twelve years, and as I was making revisions to this story, I realized there were parts I wasn't happy with and that would require a major re-write (I believe this is the first long, multi-chapter story I ever wrote!). Because I don't have a lot of spare time right now to work on it, I've decided to put it on hiatus and have started uploading another multi-chapter BtVS fic (In Bits and Pieces). I promise I'll get back to this one as soon as I can, but probably it won't be until after IBaP is finished. I sincerely apologize for making you all wait, specially if you already read the fist chapter and are waiting for an update. Thanks for understanding.

Spike tried to lift his head and grimaced, slamming it back down against the hard concrete floor. 

“Bloody hell!” 

He rolled over, pushing a couple of empty bottles out of the way with his boot. Looking around, he realized he was in his crypt – he must have instinctively found his way home and crawled in sometime during the night, before passing out. The alcohol he had consumed was almost out of his system now, but he was still having trouble getting his bearings. He dragged himself up to his knees and that’s when he froze in mid-stance. Something had awoken him, something that was in his crypt. His senses came to full awareness and a growl rumbled in his throat making the message clear – whatever vermin had crept in while he was sleeping, better creep back out before he got to his feet. After the previous night’s binge, the most recent one of many in a row, he was in no mood to play nice. Jumping to his feet he roared, slipping into game face, and swung around intent on tearing apart whatever it was that had disturbed his blessed oblivion. A high pitch shrill pierced through his eardrums and he stumbled back, away from the woman in front of him, screaming bloody murder. 

Spike winced and covered his ears. “Bloody hell, woman, shut the fuck up!” 

The red-head pressed her hand against her chest. “Goddess Spike, you almost gave me a heart attack! Are you always like this in the morning?!” 

Spike glared at her. “Only when some chit comes sneaking into my crypt and wakes me up! What the bloody hell are you doing here anyway?” Spike’s eyes traveled the length of the woman. Her face was clean, with a minimum of make-up, and her hair hung loose on her shoulders. She wore a blue and green peasant blouse and a matching, flowing skirt, with little sparkles all over the fabric. He liked the skirt.  
 _Hum, easy access_ , he thought. He raised his left eyebrow and grinned. 

“It’s not funny, Spike! I came here to give you something, and ... and ...I had this speech ... all rehearsed and everything ... and I knew exactly what I was gonna say ... and now, with all the growling and stuff ... I forgot it!” 

Spike’s grin widened as he sauntered toward her. “No worries, pet, we can just skip the speech and get right to my ‘preezie.’” 

Before Willow could anticipate his intention, Spike had snaked a hand around her waist and was pulling her closer to him. 

She smacked his hand away. “Spike! I do have a present for you, but it’s not _that_ kind of a present!” 

He enjoyed watching the color rise to her cheeks and her wide eyes dart around nervously, avoiding his face. He chuckled and felt around the pockets of his duster for a pack of cigarettes. 

“Red, you’re too easy.” 

“Wha ... what?” 

Willow groaned when he wriggled his eyebrows and gave her a mischievous grin. 

“You’re insufferable!” 

He shrugged. “So, where is my bloody present?” As he lit the cigarette, he eyed the paper bag Willow held in her hand. He hoped it was a carton of smokes – he was running low on those. 

Willow walked over to place the bag on top of the sarcophagus in the middle of the room. Spike stood behind her, looking over her shoulder as she opened the bag and pulled something out. Willow swung around and smiled as she thrust a small green sphere at him. He took the glass globe in his hand and turned it around, inspecting it. “Gee, thanks Red, I’m touched. I always wanted a ... a ... green ball. Can’t wait to show it to my friends!” he commented, still turning the globe in his hand and frowning at it. 

“It’s an Orb of Chishleen!” She exclaimed with a wide smile, as if that was supposed to mean something to him. 

“U-hu ... Well, luv, thanks for the Ball of Sheesheen – the sun is almost up and if you don’t mind, I would like to get some more sleep.” Spike was distractedly tossing the orb in the air and catching it as he talked. 

Willow’s eyes grew wide.. “Don’t do that! It’s an Orb of Chishleen, not Sheesheen, and it’s very fragile – and rare, almost impossible to find. It took me weeks to find that one and I had to convince a very cranky and greedy shopkeeper to sell it to me!” 

Spike stopped bouncing the orb and looked deep into the witch’s eyes. His expression was pensive and disbelieving, his voice barely above a whisper. “You went through all that trouble to get a present for me? Why?” 

“Because ... because ...” Willow rolled her eyes. “See? This is what the speech was for!” 

Willow tried to hoist herself atop the sarcophagus and almost fell when her leg didn’t quite reach. Spike caught her with one arm and lifted her, sitting her down on the lid with her legs dangling over the edge. He stood in front of her, still puffing on his cigarette, waiting for an explanation. Willow took the orb from his hands, probably to ensure its safety, and inhaled deeply. 

“Spike, I know we didn’t get off on the right foot at the beginning, and I know we haven’t always seen things ... eye to eye. But I feel you’ve come a long way, and you have done a lot for us – all of us.” 

She paused. 

Spike’s face was impassive while he wondered where she was leading, suspecting that she probably wanted something from him and the gift was just her way to assuage her guilt over asking. 

Willow fidgeted a little and cleared her throat before continuing. “Ok, so you tried to kill me ... several times...” Willow involuntarily shivered at the memory. “But you’ve saved my life more times than I can count. You’ve helped with research and patrolling … and not killing any of us, pssst, major extra points for that one!” 

Spike’s eyes bore into her. “It’s not like I had a bloody choice. I have a chip in me head, remember? I can’t hunt, and I can’t hurt any of you even if I wanted to, and believe me Red, there’ve been times when I wanted to!” 

Willow shook her head and a half-smile curled her lips. She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “You and I both know there’s more to it than that. You didn’t have to bring flowers when Joyce died, you didn’t have to let Glory torture you to protect Dawn, you didn’t have to watch over Dawn and the rest of us after Buffy died. Those things had nothing to do with your ‘bloody chip.’ ” Willow concluded the last sentence with an imitation of Spike’s speech. 

Spike nodded his head, impressed that the little witch had been on to him all along, when none of the others seemed to have figured it out – or maybe they just didn’t care. 

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” she added with a wink. 

Spike smiled and then had to chuckle. He had always known that she was smart, what he had not realized was that she was smarter than anyone gave her credit for. He also knew that if any of the Scoobies was ever going to acknowledge his assistance and thank him for it, it would be Willow. 

“Ok, so you found me out! I’m a big softy. Now, give me my ball and bugger off!” His tone was gruff, but his eyes twinkled with admiration. 

Willow rolled her eyes and whispered a few words Spike couldn’t understand. 

“The Orb is not the gift, Spike. What it does is the gift. Chishleen grants a wish to the possessor of the orb .” 

Spike looked at the orb, curiosity dancing in his eyes. He wondered if this Chishleen would grant him a night of passionate sex with a beautiful woman, it had been weeks since he’d had a woman. The thought occurred to him that maybe he could turn the cards on Red and use the orb to get the witch to sleep with him. He had always found the little witch attractive, and to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he had spent hours thinking about what it would be like to shag the woman. 

“What kind of wish?” he asked. 

“Well ... do you remember the Gem of Amara? Of course you do.” 

Spike’s eyes shot up to Willow’s face. All humor drained from his face as understanding started to set in. 

“Now, don’t get too excited – the orb is only good for one time, that’s it. My gift to you, Spike, is one day in the sunlight. You get one day to walk in daylight – go anywhere you want, do whatever you want to do.” 

Spike looked at Willow’s smiling, expectant face. He didn’t know what to say, how to react. He had only seen daylight once in one-hundred and twenty-years, and that time he had wasted the opportunity trying to kill the slayer. Many times since then, he had sworn that if he ever got the chance to walk in the daylight again, he would do things differently. He knew humans took daylight and the freedom to move about in the day for granted. But not him, he knew what living in unyielding, perpetual darkness was like. For years after he was turned, he had struggled to retain the memories of his youth – the colors, the feeling of warmth on his skin, the dances of light on surfaces that only a ray of sunlight could produce. But the memories had faded with time into shades of greys and blues, outlined by ever-present shadows. To walk in the sunlight again after a century had only made him want those things even more, made him want to make new memories, all in bright and vivid colors. For him, the ring had meant more than a means to kill the slayer – it had been freedom from his prison of darkness.  
He had never told this to anyone, and he wondered how Willow knew. How was it that this girl could look inside him and read his heart’s desires? He frowned. _It must be a witch thing, I should be more careful about what I think when I’m around her!_

Willow’s face fell at his frown. “What’s the matter? You don’t like my gift? I could have gotten you a pint of blood, but that’s not really special – unusual, but not special. I wanted the gift to be special – I thought you would like this!” 

Spike’s frown deepened as another thought crossed his mind. He knew that Willow, as powerful as she was, didn’t have the best track-record for accuracy as a witch – he didn’t want his day in the sun to be his last on the planet! 

“It’s a great gift, Red! There’s just some things I need to know first. Like, how does this work?” 

“Oh ... it’s a simple spell, sort of. I will invoke Chishleen, who keeps the balance between light and darkness, and ask her to grant you safe passage into the daylight.” 

Spike raised an eyebrow, not convinced that the witch was telling him everything there was to it. 

“That’s it, then? We say ‘pretty please’ and a vampire walks in the daylight?” 

Willow’s eyes shifted uncomfortably and her voice cracked. “Yeah, pretty much ... there are words, and chanting, and stuff, of course.” 

“No blood sacrifices, no unleashing of demons?” 

Willow shook her head vehemently. “Nope. No blood spillage, and no ‘demoney’ involvement of any kind.” 

For the next few minutes, Spike’s eyes shifted between the orb Willow held in her hand and her face, torn between his hope that what she offered was really possible and his misgivings about the situation. He wondered why, if this orb of Chishleen could allow a vampire to walk in the daylight, he had never heard of it, and how it was that vampires weren’t lining up to get one! He voiced his doubts. 

Willow seemed to consider his question for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe because the orb would be useless to a vampire, since a dark being cannot summon Chishleen. And it is unusual for a human to summon Chishleen in behalf of a vampire.” 

“U-hu, so this Chishleen is a good goddess then, since she can’t be summoned by someone who is evil.” 

Willow frowned. “She is more like a neutral deity ...” She seemed suddenly annoyed with Spike’s questions. “Trust me Spike, I know what I’m doing. Do you want me to summon her for you or not?” 

Every instinct told Spike that something was not right about this, but the enticing promise of possibilities that Willow’s gift held won out in the end. He moved closer to Willow, until his thighs were pressed against her knees. 

“Fine, I have only one condition” 

Willow cringed and swallowed hard under his intense glare. “What’s that?” 

“You’re spending the day with me. You’re not leaving my side. If anything goes wrong and I happen to suddenly burst into flames, I’m taking you with me!” 

Willow nodded nervously. “I can do that. Nothing is going to go wrong ... I’m sure. Just trust me.” 

“So, when do you want to do this?” Spike asked. 

“Today is fine with me. I don’t have anything planned!” 

“Fine, witch, work your mojo.”


	2. Chapter 2

After carefully drawing a circle, Willow burned several herbs and whispered a prayer in order to consecrate it for protection. When she concluded the preparations, she instructed Spike to step inside the protective circle with her. She held the orb in front of her with both hands. 

“Spike, wrap your hands around mine.” 

He did so hesitantly. Willow started chanting and a soft, green light emanated from the sphere, enveloping both their bodies. The light turned to mist, and Willow’s soft, melodic words reached his ears, carried in the mist that crawled on his skin like a tangible entity. 

_“Chishsleen, Emmor, Twilight_  
Maiden of Shadows, Goddess of Tides   
Sun and Moon, Day and Night   
shifting, blending, forces and binds.” 

“Uh, Willow, it’s getting kind of weird in here, luv. I can barely see you.” 

Willow ignored Spike’s tentative complaint and continued to recite the incantation.

_“As we venture into the Spheres of the Wards  
We seek protection from thy hand.”_

The mist grew thicker, more solid, and so bright it was blinding. 

“Red, are you sure this is right?” 

Willow continued to chant, not allowing his interruptions to distract her from her task. 

_“Darkness to light_  
drifting sands   
hear my summon   
form to shards!” 

Willow suddenly pulled her hands back, pushing Spike’s hands with hers and allowing the orb to fall to the ground and shatter. The mist quickly dissipated, sucked into the ground as into a vacuum. 

Spike looked at Willow with an expression that was half disappointment, half relief. “It didn’t work, pet, and you broke the orb.” He shrugged. “What is it people say, it’s the thought that counts?” 

Willow bent down and picked something up from amongst the shards of the orb. She held up a silver chain with a bluish-silver color pendant at the end, the image of a quarter moon and three teardrops emblazoned on it.   
Willow smiled smugly as she dangled the pendant in front of Spike. 

“O ye’ of little faith!” 

She reverently slipped the chain and the pendant around the vampire’s neck. 

“I’m not wearing that thing; it makes me look like a poof!” he bristled. 

Willow suspected that the true reason Spike didn’t want to wear the pendant was his inherent mistrust of magic. She just laughed, too heady with the excitement of her success to take offense at his protests. 

“Just tuck in under your shirt. No one has to see it. You just have to wear it for protection from the sun.” 

When he didn’t move, she grabbed the pendant and dropped it inside the neck of his t-shirt. “Oh, and Spike,you may want to lose the duster. I know it makes you look all lean, and predatory, and sexy as hell at night, but it may be a little too much for daytime.” 

She turned and walked away, silently giggling at the look of surprise on Spike. But when Willow stepped up to the crypt’s door and threw it open, his expression changed to one of apprehension. 

“Well, are you coming?” she asked over shoulder.

He removed his duster, slipping his cigarettes into his pants’ pocket, and laid it inside the sarcophagus. Slowly, he approached the doorway and peered outside. The sun was just beginning to rise, its light advancing, illuminating the tombstones and dispelling the shadows. It was still dim enough that if it started to burn, he could quickly duck back inside. A few more steps and he was standing just outside the door, next to Willow.

When she started to walk, he took her hand and held her next to him. “We are not going anywhere until I’m sure this worked.” 

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but did not try to move away. Spike watched the edge of the dawn approach, the light advancing like a wave towards him. It was only a few feet away from him now – in a few seconds, he would either be bathed in sunlight or turned to dust. 

The brilliant light washed over him, covered him like a blanket, and he closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the sun. The warmth touched his skin and the light bathed his body. Throwing his head back, he slightly opened his mouth and ran the tip of his tongue over his lips, as if he could actually taste the sunlight. After a few moments, when the danger of him bursting into flames was past, he looked down at Willow. The woman was gaping at him. 

“What?” he asked defensively. 

Willow had trouble finding the words to describe what she had just witnessed. “You looked ... almost human,” she whispered with awe in her voice. 

Spike raised an eyebrow. “I was, you know?” 

“Was what?” 

“Human, a long time ago.” 

“Oh, yeah.” Willow seemed to consider his statement for a moment, trying to envision a human Spike, before returning to her enthusiastic self. 

“Well, Spike, it’s your day! Where to first?” 

He smiled and started walking with a sure stride, his footsteps leading out of the graveyard. Willow followed behind Spike, struggling to keep up with his brisk pace. The reservations she had felt earlier about the spell had quickly dissipated. She had not wanted to alarm Spike, since she knew how wary he was of magic, but the true reason why Chishleen was so seldom summoned was because of her propensity to play tricks on those who did, granting passage into the realms of Light and Darkness, but usually with a twist. But this time everything had worked according to her plans. Spike was walking in the daylight and apparently enjoying every second of it. The witch could not help silently congratulating herself. She couldn’t wait until the day was over and she could tell Tara what she had done. She knew her fellow witch would have never dared to cast a spell as powerful as this, but once it was done, she would be excited about it and she would approve of her motives. 

After they had walked for a while, the couple reached the park and slowed their pace. They strolled around the grounds for some time before sitting on a bench. Occasionally, one or the other would offer a casual comment, but mostly they simply enjoyed the beauty of the morning. It was a week-day and the park was deserted, most citizens probably at work or school.After a while, they stood up and continued to stroll in silence for a while. Willow was enjoying the bright and calm atmosphere of the place. Unexpectedly, Spike took hold of her hand and nearly dragged her to a giant water fountain that sat in the middle of the park. 

“What is it, Spike?” Willow asked, alarmed at his haste. 

“I just want to see something, to see if it is as I remember it.” 

He sat on the edge of the fountain looking intently inside. Willow peered over his shoulder into the calm water but saw nothing other than the ripples caused by the cascading stream of the fountain and some spare change lying at the bottom. 

“Lean closer, place your face directly above the water,” Spike said. 

Willow complied, and understanding dawned as she stared at her own reflection. The image was distorted by the gentle swaying of the water, and as the sunlight hit each ripple an explosion of light and color seemed to burst over her image, causing it to sparkle and iridesce. Spike ran the tip of his fingers gently through the water and the reflection violently shattered, only to come together again as the surface calmed and the steady ripples returned. 

Spike’s voice was low and forlorn. “You can’t get an effect like that with any other source of light, not even candle light. When I was a child, there was a creek behind my house. I used to spend hours there, watching the light dance on the water, trying to find the right words to describe the effect and capture its magic into a poem. I never did write the poem.” 

Willow dipped her finger into the water, watching the light’s shifting patterns as she swirled the surface. She noticed the empty space next to her reflection, where Spike’s should have been, and wondered if he longed to see his own image. Willow was not a vain woman, but she couldn’t imagine going through life without knowing how she looked on any given day. Things like how would she know if she had something between her teeth or if her hair looked funny suddenly became an imperative dilemma. She was about to ask Spike how he dealt with his lack of reflection when she noticed that the vampire had lost interest in their conversation and was instead intently watching something across the park. A young man was crossing the park at a brisk pace, probably using it as a shortcut to the other side of town. Spike’s eyes followed the moving figure until it disappeared behind some bushes. At one point, the two men’s eyes met and there was a flicker of recognition in both. 

“Spike, is there something wrong?” 

Spike seemed startled by Willow’s question. 

“No. I just thought I saw someone I know, but it must have been someone who looked like him.” 

Willow frowned, looking at the spot where the man had disappeared. 

“Don’t you think it’s strange that the park is deserted in the middle of the day. It looks like we have the place all to ourselves,” Spike inquired.

Willow shrugged. “Not really. It’s a week-day, Spike. Most humans are normally at their jobs or at school during the day. Why do you ask?” 

The vampire shrugged and rose to his feet. “I want to go to Willie’s,” he announced. 

Willow frowned. “Spike, you go to Willie’s all the time. I mean, it’s your day and you can do anything you want. But, shouldn’t we be doing outdoor things? Things that you normally couldn’t do at night?” 

Spike grinned mischievously. “I’m doing something I can’t do at night. I’m going to Willie’s and I’m gonna watch the other vampires’ faces as I walk in through the front door, sunlight shining on my back! And then, I’ll just walk right back out into the daylight! Them wankers are going to choke on their pig’s blood!” 

Willow jumped to her feet and smiled brightly at him. She knew that the past few months had been hard for Spike and she suspected that the other vampires were not treating him any better than the Scoobies, on account of him being chipped. The idea of showing off his ability to walk in the sunlight, even if it was only for one day, in front of the other vampires seemed reasonable and like harmless fun. 

“Lead the way!” she exclaimed enthusiastically. 

Half-way to the bar, Willow came to a stop in front of an abandoned building. The vampire next to her glanced between the building and the woman. Willow frowned and peered inside through the dirt-covered front window. 

“Come on, Will’. It’s only a couple more blocks.” 

When the woman only continued to frown at the building, Spike’s expression grew serious. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Willow shook her head, thinking that she had probably been distracted the last few weeks with final exams and Tara, and had not noticed when the little café had gone out of business. Although, she could have sworn that she had been there for coffee only a couple of days earlier. 

“It’s nothing. This used to be a coffee shop. It was Tara’s and mine favorite place to go for coffee in the afternoons, and I didn’t know it had closed down.” 

Spike looked around the nearly deserted street. 

“Will’, do you notice anything else different. Anything that has changed since the last time you were here?” 

Willow carefully studied her surroundings, taking notice of the people and buildings around her. The differences were subtle, but a few things were definitely not quite as they should be. Even for a week-day, the streets were uncommonly empty. Even if most inhabitants of the town were at work, people still ran errands. It was nearly noon and the small restaurants should have been filling up with workers breaking for lunch. The few people who walked the streets did so hurriedly and with determined steps, as if in a desperate rush to reach their destination. Furthermore, they seemed to be purposely avoiding her and Spike. Everyone seemed to walk on the opposite side of the street from them, occasionally glancing furtively in their direction. 

“Spike, do you notice that people are acting ... well ... strange? Kind of ... like avoiding us and staring at us, like they are afraid or something?” 

The vampire watched a woman cross the road away from them. “Maybe they think it’s odd, seeing a vampire walk in the daylight. It is odd, you know.” 

“Yeah, but they don’t know you are a vampire ... unless, they know you. Have you seen anyone who looks familiar?” 

Spike took a second look and shook his head. “Nope. Except for ...” 

When he didn’t continue, Willow raised worried eyes to him. 

“Who?” 

Spike clenched his jaw and his eyes bore intently into Willow’s. 

“Do you notice anything else, beside the people?” 

Willow’s stomach began to tighten at the intensity of his tone. She had the nagging suspicion that something was definitely not right, and she suspected that Spike felt the same way. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat.

“The buildings. There are a lot of closed down businesses that I’m sure were open last week. And the ones that are open are ... well ... not right.” 

She glanced at the front of several establishments that featured an inordinate amount of leather items, predominantly whips, along with other paraphernalia that was not usually displayed in storefronts on the main street in Sunnydale. 

Without a word, Spike took hold of her hand and started to march down the road. Willow had to run to keep up with him. Her heart was pounding and her breath ragged by the time they arrived at Willie’s. The bar looked the same from the outside except that the windows were not blacked out to filter the sunlight, as they should have been. Several patrons exited the bar, walking down the street as they talked animatedly and laughed. None of them gave Spike or Willow a second glance. 

“Spike, those weren’t ... were they?” 

Spike squeezed her hand painfully as he ground out, “Yes, they are.” 

Willow trembled. “Oh Goddess, what did I do? It was the spell, wasn’t it?” 

“I don’t see what else it could be. It seems that my gift isn’t so unique after all. Apparently, all vampires can now walk in the daylight.” His tone was flat but pensive, and Willow felt that he knew more than he was saying. 

She slipped her hand from his and leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the ground, not wanting to go into the bar, afraid of what they would find there. Her heart was beating erratically and she knew it wasn’t from the exertion of their walk. An idea suddenly came to her mind and she looked up at Spike hopefully. 

“The spell is only good for one day! By tomorrow, all the vampires will be back to normal! We just have to find Buffy and have her do some patrolling until then.” She frowned, not looking forward to telling her friend that she had granted a free pass into daylight to every vampire in Sunnydale, but not knowing what else she could do – the slayer had to know. 

Spike shook his head, glancing at the door of the bar. “I don’t think it’s that easy, Wil’. All these changes didn’t happen in just a few hours. It is obvious that vampires have been running this town for a while.” 

Willow’s eyes grew wide with confusion. 

“What do you think that means?” 

“Other than the fact that you buggered up yet another bloody spell? I don’t know, Red. You’re the witch, you tell me.” he bit out angrily. “Get up!” 

Willow obeyed reluctantly. “Where are we going?” 

“Inside. I need to find out what’s going on.” 

The interior of the bar was uncharacteristically busy for the time of day, and several patrons looked up as the pair walked in, their expressions registering surprise. If it was surprise at her presence or at Spike’s, Willow could not tell.   
When no one made any move to stop their progress, Spike and Willow walked to the bar. Willie was nervously wiping a glass while he took an order from a rather large, slimy looking demon. Spotting the two newcomers at the bar, he put down the glass and approached them, ignoring the frustrated demon behind him. 

“Spike! Long time ... no see! What, what ... brings you to my, my ... humble establishment?” the bartender stammered as he poured what looked like blood into a mug. The man seemed to be ignoring Willow, although she caught him glancing at her questioningly once. 

“It hasn’t been that long, Willie.” Spike had been at the bar only the night before. 

“Really? It seems ... it seems like a long time. I guess because you have been missed.” The small man tried to smile as he placed the mug in front of Spike, but only managed a semblance of a grimace. 

Spike looked pointedly at Willow and the woman sighed as she reached into her purse and withdrew a couple of bills. The man behind the bar seemed confused by their exchange, but quickly recovered and shook his head. 

“Oh, no! This one is on the house ... a welcome back present!” He leaned closer to Spike over the bar. “The good stuff,” he added with a wink. 

Willow eyed the mug suspiciously as Willie walked away to tend to the increasingly inpatient demon. 

“Spike, what did he mean ‘the good stuff’?” 

Spike put the mug to his lips and tasted the content experimentally before throwing his head back and draining it in one gulp. 

“It’s human blood, and it’s fresh ... very fresh,” he explained, licking his lips and motioning to Willie for a refill. 

“Spike! That’s not a good thing! And you couldn’t possibly be asking for more! There’s ... there’s probably a drained body in one of the back rooms ... somewhere ... lying there ... all dead ... while you’re sitting here ... ordering ... drinking ... its blood!” Willow’s voice kept rising in panic as she envisioned the significance of the freshness of the blood. 

Spike’s tone was stern but his voice was kept low. “In case you have forgotten, Red, I’m still a vampire and you said this was ‘my day’ and that I was supposed to enjoy myself. That’s exactly what I’m doing ... it’s not my fault that you buggered up the bloody spell and things turned out differently than you expected!” He glanced around the room. “And keep your voice low, you’re drawing attention to yourself!” he added. 

Willow looked nervously at the crowd of mostly vampires who were now eyeing her suspiciously. Her thoughts were reeling and she felt nauseous, not because she was watching Spike gleefully consume a second mug of human blood, but because the consequences of her spell and their magnitude were becoming alarmingly clear. In trying to grant Spike passage into daylight, she must have accidentally created a world where all vampires walked in the daylight, removing the only protection that humans had against them! The abundance of fresh human blood could only mean that the vampires were freely and arbitrarily using the citizens of Sunnydale as an all you can eat buffet! 

The room spun around her and Willow felt as if she was going to be physically ill. “Oh, Goddess, Tara!” She choked the words out as she leaned her head on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, please. We have to find her!” 

The vampire shot her an annoyed look, but his expression softened when he saw the tears starting to pool in her eyes. 

“Fine, Red. But stick close to me and whatever happens, let me do the talking. Okay?” 

Willow nodded thankfully. They walked out into the bright sunlight, and the reality of how changed the town truly was hit Willow full force this time. She cursed herself twice the fool for not noticing earlier – she had been too caught up in her excitement over the non-existent success of her spell. Many buildings were gutted or in serious disrepair. The town’s church had been burnt to the ground, and the few humans who roamed the streets looked fearful and pale. She hastened her steps. 

“Where are you going?” 

Spike’s question halted her. 

“To the dorms. That’s where Tara is.” 

Spike sighed. “Normally, yes. But I doubt that there’s even a college in this town anymore. Vampires are not big on higher education. If she is still alive, she could be anywhere. Our best bet is to find the slayer or the watcher and have them bring us up to date.” 

Willow could not argue with his logic. They were strangers in this strange town, or at least, she was. No one seemed to question Spike’s presence here, and a few of the vampires in the bar had even waved at him cordially as they exited. Their best bet at finding out exactly what was going on was to locate either Buffy or Giles. 

“Buffy’s house, then?”

Spike nodded his agreement and they headed in the direction of the slayer’s house.


	3. Chapter 3

Willow’s heart sank when they reached the spot where the house should have been and found themselves standing in front of an empty lot. The charred foundation was all that remained of her friend’s home – by the looks of it, the house had burnt to the ground some time before. 

Willow’s body trembled as she began to panic. “Oh, Spike! What have I done?” 

The vampire placed a stiff arm around her shoulders. 

“This doesn’t mean anything, Will’. She probably abandoned the house because it was too conspicuous. Every vampire for miles around knows where the slayer lives. Let’s go to the Magic Box, that’s probably where everyone would go if there was trouble. Your witch probably has the place sealed tight with all kinds of protection spells.” 

Spike’s rationale sounded hollow to Willow’s ears, even if she desperately wanted to believe that he was right. But it was the only glimmer of hope she had and she was not about to surrender to despair – at least, not yet. 

Her hopes were dashed when they reached The Magic Box. The sign that had hung above the door was gone and the building now housed an entirely different type of business. Willow stared agape at the display that decorated the large front windows. Pictures of what looked like mutilated bodies were carefully arranged against a black backdrop, along with a multitude of knives and sharp instruments. She stared in disbelief at the macabre display, her mind unable to grasp the gruesome realism of the collage. She felt Spike’s hand grasp her arm and gently pull her away. 

“I don’t think you want to go in there, Red.” 

Willow shook her head frantically. “We have to, Spike! We have to find out what happened to them. You were right. If there was trouble, they would come here. What if they are still in there? What if they need our help? Where else are we going to look?” 

A couple of passers-by glanced curiously in their direction, and Spike pulled Willow into the adjacent alley, where they were concealed from prying eyes. 

“Red, listen to me! Maybe we are going at this all wrong. All this happened because of a spell you did, right?” 

His words slowly penetrated the jumble in Willow’s mind. She nodded numbly. 

“Can’t you just reverse the spell? Set things the way they were before?” 

Willow considered his words carefully. “Maybe.” She pointed at his chest. “The talisman around your neck, I think it’s what holds the spell in place. I’m supposed to destroy it after the day is over. If we destroy the talisman now ... it should reverse the spell ... probably.” 

“Probably, maybe, should? Bloody hell, Will’. You have to be sure about this. If we destroy the talisman and nothing changes then we are stuck here and we will have lost the only link we have to that bitch, Chishleen.” 

Spike’s words jolted Willow out of her stupor. She frowned in concentration. 

“Stuck here, in this place...” 

“Yes, Red, that’s what I said!” His tone was increasingly exasperated.

“Oh, no! Spike, we have to find them! We can’t leave them here!” 

Spike raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “Leave who? Wouldn’t things just change back to the way they were?” 

Willow shook her head emphatically. “I’m starting to think this is something like the vengeance spell that Anya did!” 

“Huh?” 

“If it is something like that, we didn’t just alter our reality. We ... I ... created an alternate reality that coexists parallel to our own!” 

“Red, what the bloody hell are you babbling about?” 

Willow breathed deeply in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves and think coherently. If she was going to come up with a plan, she would need Spike’s help. More importantly, she had to get a grip on her emotions and her thoughts. 

“I don’t think we are in Sunnydale ... at least, not _our_ Sunnydale. This is a place that’s exactly the same as our world, except here vampires walk freely in the sunlight, so they have the upper hand on humans. While I was doing the spell ... I asked permission to enter the Spheres of the Wards ...” 

Willow grappled to make sense of her own thoughts and to recall the exact wording of the spell. “‘Darkness into Light’ ... a place where creatures of darkness walk in the light ... a new ‘sphere,’ ... or dimension ... whatever you want to call it ... was created to my specifications! The exact world I knew, with one exception ... ok, one _huge_ exception. Chishleen, instead of protecting you from the daylight, created a world where you, and everyone like you, could walk in the daylight, and then put us into that world!” 

Spike frowned, started to speak, closed his mouth, and frowned again. He finally spoke, albeit tentatively. “So, you’re saying that somewhere, that’s not here, there is another Sunnydale, with the slayer’s house and The Magic Box, and happily oblivious Happy Meals on legs, and that probably all we have to do is break the talisman to get back there?” 

Willow nodded, lowering her head. “The thing is ... just because we leave, it doesn’t mean that this world ceases to exist. This world ... the people in it ... are as real as our world, now.” 

Spike nodded in abject understanding. 

“Spike, please try to understand. I have to know. The Tara in this world ... she is exactly the same as my Tara, in our world. I can’t leave knowing that she is here ... in this ... hell ... going through who knows what ... because of me.” Sobs threatened to choke her and Willow swallowed hard. 

“But the spell is good for only one day, right? That means that at sundown, talisman or no talisman, we are going to be zapped back into our reality, like Cinde-bloody-rella, right?” 

Willow nodded hesitantly. “In theory ... yes.” 

“What is that supposed to mean – “in theory?” Spike’s jaw was clenched and Willow lowered her eyes apologetically. 

“Well ... I’m not sure ... but, it could be ... it’s likely that ...” 

“Bloody hell, Red, spill it before I choke it out of you!” Spike ground out.

“Well, the spell lasts only for one day in our Sunnydale, but this is a different dimension all together...” 

Understanding dawned in Spike’s eyes. “So a day in our world could be a week, or a year, or any amount of time in this dimension. Which means we could be whisked away at any moment, or we could spend the next century here ... the only sure way back is the talisman, hopefully.” 

Willow nodded meekly, still afraid to look at the vampire’s face. 

“Bugger all, Willow, you really did it this time!” 

Retrieving a pack of cigarettes from his pants’ pocket, Spike leaned back against the wall of the alley. Willow shifted uncomfortably as the vampire studied her through a haze of smoke. After a few moments, Spike pushed away from the wall and approached her. 

“Fine. I’ll help you find your witch and the others as long as we are here, but there will be some rules. You let me do the talking. Whatever you see, don’t interfere. You don’t question me in front of others, and you do what I say. Is that clear? If you don’t, I’ll break the talisman and it’s bye bye, witch. Agreed?” 

Willow nodded in defeat, wondering at which point, exactly, had she lost all control of the situation. Now, she was left with no choice but to trust Spike with her life – an unsettling proposition. 

~*~

Willow watched impatiently as Spike finished smoking his cigarette and crushed it beneath the sole of his boot. 

"This is the best place to start looking for Tara and the others. If nothing else, we could get some information." He pointed toward the building behind them, which used to be The Magic Box, but made no move to walk to the entrance.

Willow frowned. 

"Spike, what aren't you telling me?" 

The vampire shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this place." 

Willow was annoyed by the vampire's reluctance. In her estimation, if anyone should be feeling apprehensive, it was her. "I don't like the place either, Spike! I think it has to do with the display of entrails and sharp weapons on the window. But, I don't know where else to start looking!" 

"It's more than that. This place ... it reeks of blood, fear, pain and death. I don't know what we'll be walking into. I just want you to be sure you want to go through with this, that's all." 

A lump formed in the girl's throat and her legs weakened at the other's words, but her resolve did not falter. 

"I'm sure, Spike. Please." 

The vampire nodded and led the way to the entrance, with Willow following closely behind. He tried the door and found it locked. Locating the doorbell, he pushed the button and waited for the door to open. 

An audible gasp escaped Willow's throat, and she rushed forward as the door opened and she caught sight of the man standing just inside the threshold. "Xander!" 

Her impetuous outburst was cut short when Spike firmly grasped her upper arm and pulled her back. 

"Shut up!" He hissed between clenched teeth. 

Willow stumbled back, her confusion escalating when her oldest friend, the man she had known and loved since childhood, merely ignored her presence while greeting Spike with a wide, affable grin. 

"Well, I'll be damned, Spike! Didn't expect to see you again around these parts, at least not for a few decades! Couldn't stay away from good ol' Sunnyhell, could you?" 

A warm hug emphasized his welcome and the young man's obvious delight at seeing the newly arrived vampire. Willow trembled at the glazed expression in her friend's eyes and the icy tone of his voice, despite his cheerful demeanour. She now knew that the dark haired man standing so close to her was no longer the same friend she had known. That person was dead and she was staring into the eyes of the demon that now inhabited his body. The thought that the same fate might very well have befallen the rest of her circle of friends was more than she could endure at the moment, and she leaned against Spike's arm for support. 

"I got homesick, I guess. It's good to see you too, mate." 

Spike’s tone was unaffected by the unexpected nature of their discovery, and Willow wished she possessed even a modicum of the vampire's obvious composure under pressure, for at the moment, she felt as if she was close to swooning. 

"Come in, come in." Xander waved them inside, and Spike stepped into the store with Willow following numbly behind. 

The interior of the establishment did nothing to assuage Willow's sense of apprehension and surprise. While structurally the place was the same, the decor was drastically changed. Gone were the shelves filled with books and displays of magic supplies, replaced with what Willow could only describe as every implement of torture imaginable to man, and several that she was certain had not been conceived by a human mind. She kept her eyes downcast, not wanting to look too closely at what other horrors might be displayed inside the store. Clutching Spike's shirt for support, she blindly followed him while he strolled through the store, casually checking out the merchandise. 

"So how is business? I imagine there's a high demand for your toys around here." 

She glanced up to see Xander gleefully rub the palms of his hands together, an evil grin twisting his once handsome features. "Best damned idea I ever had, this store! I've made a bundle!" 

Xander approached Spike, his dark eyes narrowing languorously. 

"And I have you to thank for delivering me from a life of mediocrity, Sire. I even bought something, thinking of you, knowing you would be back." 

His lips descended on Spike's and he kissed the other vampire, his hand coming to rest on the pale, slim neck. Without hesitation, Spike returned the kiss, his arm snaking around the other's waist and pulling him closer, until their bodies were flush against each other, and Willow heard a low moan escape Xander's throat. 

The realization that, in this world, it was Spike who had turned her friend into a monster, was too much for Willow. Unable to contain the bile quickly rising into her throat, she released her hold on Spike's shirt and ran outside and around the back of the building. Dropping to her knees in the filthy alley, she retched until the entire contents of her stomach were spilt onto the ground. 

Never, in her wildest, darkest fantasies could Willow have envisioned a spell going so horribly wrong. Her best friend's house was burnt to the ground and her whereabouts unknown; her childhood friend was now a vampire who didn't even acknowledged her presence; her girlfriend might be dead or worse; Spike was apparently Xander's sire, and Goddess only knew how many people, acquaintances as well as strangers, she had condemned to death, or a life of horror and pain. 

Rising to her feet and wiping her mouth, Willow stumbled on shaky legs to the front of the store and leaned against the wall, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful day - the sky was clear, the sun shone high in the sky and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby decorative bushes. The calm scenery was a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her. She stared up at the distant trees, seeking to lose herself in the natural beauty and forget the horrors that surrounded her, but her thoughts inevitably kept shifting back to her friends and their uncertain fates. 

"Let's go!" Spike's brusque command pulled Willow from her silent reverie, and she saw that Spike had exited the store and was already making his way down the street, following close to Xander. With a few long strides, Willow caught up with the two men. 

"Did you find out anything?" She whispered close to Spike's ear, hoping that Xander, who was walking ahead, could not hear her. 

"Not yet. It seems that droopy boy has a preezie for his sire and can't wait to give it to me!" 

Spike accentuated his words with a twisted grin and a rise of his eyebrow, but Willow failed to see the humor in the situation. Instead, it worried her that Spike was taking this sudden turn of events so lightly - but her opportunity for further inquiry was past. They had reached a car parked at the end of the street and Xander was climbing into the driver's seat. Willow hesitated, unsure about the wisdom of getting into a car with the vampire Xander. Spike must have seen her hesitation, because he opened the back door and unceremoniously pushed Willow inside, slamming the door shut behind her and climbed into the front seat next to Xander.


End file.
